“The spaces between my teeth is increasing. What could be causing it?”
All of a sudden I have been noticing increasing gaps between my teeth. Can you suggest what could be the reason for the same?
6 Answers
Gum disease, aging
The reasons for which this occurs vary from patient to patient. Often times it is due to missing teeth in certain areas in conjunction with periodontal disease. The combination of the two of these will allow tooth movement to occur. I would recommend discussing this with your dental professional to determine the root cause and develop a treatment plan specific to your needs.
If the spaces are getting larger it's because the teeth are shifting in this may be as a result of the stress of your bite, or the type of malocclusion that you have, or the stress that you're placing on your teeth during sleep. I'd make an appointment with an orthodontist to be evaluated. There's usually no charge for the first consultation
The answer is a based on a multi-factorial causes that occur through time. With time, our bite changes (gaps between the upper and lower teeth) due to either losing bone, grinding our teeth or just from simple removal of teeth. Our teeth have memory and tend to re-position to their previous location thus creating gaps. Also, after simple removal of teeth, they love to be with companion and tend to shift this causing gaps. Best treatment is to keep a mouth piece of appliance called either a tooth reatainernor night guard.
Increasing gaps between the teeth could by a symptom of advancing gum disease. Gum disease leads to bone loss around teeth, and when the teeth are not supported, they can shift and create gaps. Gaps can also be from advanced tooth decay, relapse after braces, or a habit such as a tongue thrust. It's best to visit your dentist to diagnose and treat the underlying cause of the gaps.
Gaps develop later in life for a variety of reasons. If you have lost teeth, even back teeth, then the tooth contacts will not be stable and gaps can develop. Also after puberty our jaw bones continue to grow at around a millimeter per year. The upper and lower bones do not necessarily grow at the same rate which will create a need for either gaps or crowding.
